Willy the chimp loves to dream. He dreams that he's a film star, a sumo wrestler, a ballet dancer, a painter, an explorer, a famous writer, a scuba diver. Willy's dreamland is a gallery of amazing and magical pictures, each one packed with bananas and surreal details.
--This text refers to an alternate
Hardcover
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In his fifth book about Willy the chimp, Browne gives a smart, playful nod to Magritte, Rousseau, Dali and other artists whose paintings were often more the stuff of dreams than of real life. Browne's whimsical borrowings and witty visual puns stretch this volume's appeal far beyond the typical picture-book audience. And though Willy's youngest fans may not get the full picture, they'll likely take a naif's pleasure in the dream-like quirks and incongruities packed into each watercolor. Dozing in an armchair, the chimp envisions himself a movie star in guises that include Mary Poppins, Dracula and Charlie Chaplin; a singer who's a ringer for Elvis; a ballet dancer in a lacy tutu and toe shoes fashioned from bananas; a famous writer surrounded by simian versions of Sir John Tenniel's Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter and other residents of Wonderland. And from the moment they view Browne's fetching cover illustration, kids will keep their eyes peeled for the inventively placed bananas in Willy's dream scenes. A parody of the famous picture inscribed "Ceci n'est pas une pipe" doubles in irreverence when a curved banana half fills in for the pipe; a Cowardly Lion's tail ends in a flourish of banana. Whether readers are wholly untutored or art history experts, the closer they look, the more jokes they will find. Fresh, funny and full of surprises. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Gr. 2^-4, younger with a grown-up. This fifth picture book in Browne's series about Willy the chimp represents quite a departure from the others. Using a noticeably larger format, Browne has taken his endearing chimp and placed him center stage in a series of framed, often well-known paintings, which are meant to be visual representations of Willy's fantastic dreams. Willy appears as Elvis Presley, as a sumo wrestler, as a ballet dancer, and as a superhero. Sometimes Willy is not presented as a particular character. Instead, he's simply depicted as part of a strange landscape, which calls up the work of such famous, possibly familiar artists as Salvador Daliand Winslow Homer. There is no plot, but children will enjoy the superbly illustrated book for its imaginative and humorous artwork, and teachers can use it to inspire youngsters to create their own book of fantasies, or to introduce the artists and paintings Browne is spoofing. Lauren Peterson
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A dreamer's dream,
By
This review is from: Willy the Dreamer (Hardcover)
Don't be fooled by the reading label of this book, 4-8; the real reading label, or shall we say the enjoying label is 4 to 100 because this book is an homenage to culture on the 20th century. Willy is a little monkey (Anthony Browne's alter ego?), with all the vulnerabilities of a sensible child(you must read the four previous Willy's books), but in Willy the dreamer he doesn't have to face the problems that a sensible child must face in his every day's life, in Willy the dreamer our heroe just falls asleep in his confortable chair to be the king of rock and roll; a character of a favorite movie; or of a favorite fairy tale; a sumo wrestler; or just a father. If you're an art lover you will love the homenage to great artists of the century: Magritte, Dalí, De Chirico. Don't worry if you're not an art conossieur because this book has so many readings, so many hidden messages, so many bananas, so many dreams that it can fit any child and grownup imagination. If you want to encourage your child to be a dreamer, you must give him this book. If you're a dreamer yourself, this surely will be the book for you.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Different,
This review is from: Willy the Dreamer (Hardcover)
Different is good! Willy dreams of being everything from Elvis to a Sumo wrestler. There are so many different things to look at in Anthony Browne's books, it's almost a shame to read them quickly. I do so at our library's storytime but the real way to read this book is laying on the floor with a friend. I showed this book to my 20 year old son yesterday, now he wants a copy. I told him to check it out, and you should too!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An absolute dream for kids and adults,
By
This review is from: Willy the Dreamer (Paperback)
This is one of those splendid books that offers something to every age group. Willy the monkey, like all of us, has rather bizzare and equally fascinating dreams. Through Browne's brilliant illustrations, we see Willy's awesome visions - so whimsical with the hidden references towards works of art, storybook characters, even movie stars. There are bananas slipped in everywhere - from noses, to tails, to microphones, even in the grin of the Cheshire Cat. Hilarious! In my opinion, this is what makes a phenomenal picture book - one that speaks to all, from the very young to the young at heart. This is truly a work of art!
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